Device for threading needles.



, M. SCHOENPELD. DEVICE FOR THREADING NEEDLES. AliPLIOATION rum) 423.4.1910 981,125. I Patented Jm10,1911.

MORRIS SGI-IOENFELD, 0F RORSGI-IACH, SWITZERLAND.

DEVICE FOR THREADING NEEDLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

Application filed April 4, 1910. Serial No. 553,164.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Mourns SoHonNrnLD, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Rorschach, in the Canton of St. Gall, Switzerland,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices forThreading Needles, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a device for threading needles, and isespecially adapted for use on embroidering machines where there arehundreds of needles requiring threading from time to time.

The device is a very simple one and is adapted to present or hold thethread in proximity to the eye of the needle and to carry the end of thethread through the eye of the needle by means of a current of air,whereby complicated mechanical contrivances are avoided and with themtheir infirmities.

The .present device is very simple and inexpensive, as well as efficientand will work almost instantaneously and there are no complicated partsto get out of order. Aside from the device for producing the air currentthere are but one or two mechanical moving elements, and they are freefrom liability of derangement.

The elements which operate upon the thread and needle consists of aholder or saddle for presenting the free end of the thread in closeproximity to the eye of the needle and when so presented it is adaptedto project a current of air in such a relation to the thread and needleeye as to force the thread through the needle eye by means of the aircurrent, thereby avoiding complicated mechanical elements of fineconstruction.

The greatest field of usefulness for my device is in threading needleson embroidering machines where there are many hundreds of needles to bethreaded from time to time and I will therefore describe my invention asapplied to such use, though the same may be advantageously used in otherways without departing from the scope of my invention.

In embroidering machines of the large well known type the needles,several hundred, are arranged in longitudinal, superimposed rows, uponlongitudinal needle bars, and while it is possible to provide a threaderfor each individual needle I consider such practice an unnecessarilycumbersome one and I therefore prefer to provide a set of threadersarranged at intervals along the machine which will be more or lessportable, whereby a single threader will serve for threading a largernumber of needles. The operator can present the threader to the needleand after threading the needle, withdraw it therefrom for use on anotherneedle. In this way I can arrange several threaders along the machine atconvenient intervals and supply the air current therefor from a commonsource.

The broad object of my invention is to provide a holder or saddle forholding the end of the thread near the eye of the needle and then by anair current force the thread through the needle eye; and in the broadspirit of my invention it is possible to force the thread through theneedle eye either by a suction action or a blowin action, but I preferthe former and I will therefore describe the same, but at the same timeI do not limit my invention thereby, but intend to cover the broadlyequivalent blowing action.

In the drawings forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a sideelevation, partly in section, of the part of the device which actsdirectly upon the thread and needle, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of aneedle and saddle, showin the device as it is used to thread the needle,Fig. 8 is a section through the saddle and needle, showing the alinementof the needle eye and air passage, Fig. t is a side elevation of theneedle and saddle showing the application of the invention, Fig. 5shows, diagrammatically, the distribution of my improvements on anembroidering machine of the large type, and Fig. 6 is a cross section ofa needle and a saddle, showing my invention in a preferred form.

In Fig. 5 I have shown one way of dis tributing the threaders along themachine, whereby several may be used to thread the needles of the entiremachine. I have employed my invention in connection with a suctiondevice rather than a blower, and without intending to exclude the latterfrom the scope of my invention, I will describe it as used with asuction device. I have shown a device 1, suitably located where thesuction therefrom may act through the distributing pipes 2, 3. Theselatter are arranged longitudinally of the machine, one

pipe for each row of needles, and connected I -ers as are in actualuse.

the couplings 1, to which the various threading devices are connected.The pipes 2, 3, and couplings 4 are of ordinary form, having internalbores communicating to form continuous channels and the number ofcouplings on each pipe will depend upon the length of the machine andwill be changed to suit the particular requirements of each machine. Thesuction pump 1, may be of ordinary construction and is used for thepurpose of creating a suction or partial vacuum in the various connectedpipes and the details of the pump are not, therefore shown herein.

The threading devices are connected to the couplings 4 on the supplypipes 2, 3, by means of flexible connections 5, whereby they are more orless portable, so that each threader may be used on a number of needles.The threader herein shown, reference being had first to Figs. 1 to 4:,consists of a tube 6, having an internal bore 7, which communicates withthe bore of the flexible connection 5 and thereby through the pipe 2 or3 with the pump. This tube 6, is preferably cast with an angularlydisposed piston casing 8, having a bore 9 at right angles -to andcommunicating with, the reduced portion 10 of the bore of the tube. Inthe piston casing I have provided a piston 11, which has a cap 12, onone end which limits the movement of the piston in one direction; and onthe other end is provided a screw 13, between the head of which and thetube lies a spring 14; which tends to retain the parts in the positionshown in Fig. 1, when the piston shuts off the passage of air throughthe tube. There is a circumferential groove 15 in the piston whichalines with the bore 10 of the tube when the piston is depressed,whereby the air will be free to pass the piston. The piston serves as avalve, by which the threader is made operative. By making the valvenormally closed on each threader, the threads may be separately c011-trolled and all the force of the pump concentrated on only such threaderor thread- I have provided a curved tube 16, which forms a continuationof the tube 6, and it is preferably of smaller diameter. It is to thistube 16 that I have applied what I have called a saddle, that is, thedevice by which the thread end is guided to the needle eye, while theair current is; projecting the thread through the needle eye. The saddlewhich I have herein shown forms and which opens on one side 20 for thepurpose of placing the thread and of permitting the saddle to be placedover the needle to straddle the latter as shown in Figs. 2 to 4.

Below, the saddle has an opening 21.

The operation of the device is very sim- .trolling the operationthereof.

ple. The pump is adapted to keep up a suction or partial vacuum in thesystem of pipes and tubes, any suitable starting and stopping devicebeing provided for con- There will be no circuit so long as the valvesof the threaders are all closed. If the operator desires to thread aneedle he or she takes whichever threader is most convenient to theneedle and places the end of the particular thread across the bottom ofthe saddle by dropping it through the opening 20 into the channel 18,when the thread will lie across the opening 21. The saddle is thenplaced over the needle as shown in Figs. 2 to 4-, when it will straddlethe needle, with the eye 22 in line with the bore of the saddle and alsothe opening 21, opposite. The position at this moment is shown in Fig.2. The operator then depresses the piston, whereupon the alinement ofthe groove 15 with the bore of the tube will permit air to pass. Asuction will thus be created across the eye of the needle, which will besuflicient to force the end of the thread through the needle eye and upthe saddle tube. The threader is then removed from the needle which isthen ready to stitch. The amount of thread passed through the needlewill depend upon how far the thread is drawn over the saddle, which willdepend upon the individual practice.

As a tight connection between the saddle and the needle secures the bestresults. and as there is apt to be wear in the needle channel of thesaddle I have shown my invention carried to a higher development in Fig.6 to secure the best results. Herein the saddle is modified to theextent of providing a hinged cap 23, for the saddle which swingstransversely from the hinge 2 1. This cap is so shaped as to partiallysurround the needle 19 and is provided with the aperture 21, the same asthe previous form. A spring 25 on the saddle presses the cap 23, wherebythe needle will be clamped against the end 26 of the saddle, whichcurves to conform to the needle. This close fitting will force the airto take through the aperture 21, and the needle eye, and will take upany difference caused by wear of the. parts by the needles.

It will be apparent that the present device is very simple and there areno small mechanical elements to get out of order.

lVhile I have shown my invention in the preferred form I do not wish tobe limited in the scope of my invention to such form as many changes maybe made within the broad scope of my invention.

It is possible to use a blow pump instead of a suction pump by simplychanging the relative positions of the parts and I therefore considerthe same within the scope and spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention What I claim is;

1. A device of the character described, comprising a saddle on Which thethread is adapted to be laid, and an element having an air passage, saiddevice being adapted to be presented to a needle in such a Way that thethread on the saddle will lie across the needle eye and so that the saidair passage Will cause a current of air to pass through the needle eye,carrying the thread therewith, and means for causing an air current insaid air passage.

2. A device of the class described provided with an air passage and athread holding portion, said device being adapted to be presented to aneedle in such a Way that the thread Will be presented on one side ofthe needle eye by the thread holding portion and the said air passageWill be presented on the opposite side of the needle eye and means forcausing a suction in said air passage, whereby the thread will be drawnthrough the needle eye.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a tube having an airpassage, and a saddle adapted to be presented below the needle eye andto support the thread opposite the eye of the needle, a side opening forthe passage of the thread into the saddle, the air passage of said tubebeing adapted to create an air current on the side of the needle eyeopposite that to which the thread is presented and means for creating anair current in said passage.

4;. A device of the class described, comprising a tube having an airpassage, and a saddle adapted to present a thread to the needle eye, anopening for the passage of the thread into the saddle, said saddlehaving an opening opposite the air passage of the tube and means forcreating an air current in the tube.

5. A device of the class described, embodying a tube having an airpassage adapted to be presented to the eye of a needle, and a movablesaddle adapted to press a needle against the tube, and to hold a threadin juxtaposition to the needle eye, means for pressing the saddle andmeans for creating an air current in said tube to force the threadthrough the needle eye.

bodying a tube having an air passage adapted to be presented to the eyeof a needle, a saddle hinged to the tube, a spring adapted to press thesaddle to clamp a needle between the saddle and tube, said saddle havingan aperture opposite the air passage of the tube and means for creatingan air current in the tube.

7. In a device of the class described, a distributing pipe adapted forthe rows of embroidering devices of an embroidering machine, flexibletubes connected With said supply pipe and communicating With theinterior thereof, means for creating an air pressure in the supply pipeand tubes and needle threading devices on the flexible tubes comprisingmeans for supporting a thread in such relation to the eye of the needleas to cause the thread to be forced through the eye by the air pressurein the flexible tubes.

8. In a device of the character described the combination of adistributing pipe, a flexible tube connected With said supply pipe andcommunicating With the interior thereof, means for creating an airpressure in the supply pipe and tube and a portable needle threader onsaid tube embodying means for supporting a thread in such relation tothe eye of the needle as to cause the thread to be forced through theeye of the needle by the air pressure in said tube and a portable valvecarried in proximity to the needle threader and adapted to control theair pressure in the tube.

9. A device of the class described comprising a portable tube having anair passage, a saddle adapted to present a thread to the eye of theneedle in a position to be affected by an air current in sald tube,means for creating an air current in the tube, a plunger for closing theair passage in the tube, held normally closed by a spring and adapted tobe manually operated to open the air passage in the tube to permit ofthe air current passing therethrough.

Signed at the city of St. Gall, in the Canton of St. Gall, Switzerland,this 24th day of March, 1910.

MORRIS SCI-IOENFELD.

In the presence of FRIEDR. STEINER, OSCAR Loan.

